“We’ve notified authorities, and that is being worked through. But obviously, there is concern,” he told reporters on Tuesday morning.

The breach, initially reported by the Australian website Ette Media, allegedly involved the unauthorized acquisition of personal details belonging to leaders of both major political parties, along with Marles and former Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The sensitive information was reportedly “scraped” from professional networking sites, including LinkedIn.

Initial reporting by Australian website Ette Media claimed both major party leaders’ details, as well as those of Marles and former prime minister Scott Morrison, were “scraped” by the US-based site from professional networking platforms including LinkedIn.

As the investigation unfolds, the incident raises significant questions about the online security of public figures and the efficacy of privacy measures on digital platforms. The situation remains under close scrutiny as authorities work to resolve the breach and prevent future occurrences.

The agency responsible for detecting and disrupting malicious cyber threats released its annual report on Tuesday, revealing a rise of 11 per cent in cyber incidents.